Johnson, Zelenskyy walk around Kyiv; Putin appoints new commander

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson walked alongside the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the streets of Kyiv during Johnson’s surprise visit to the war-hit country. In a two-minute video shared by the Ukrainian government, the two leaders were seen walking through the largely empty city guarded by snipers and other heavy security. Yesterday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

Johnson said that he has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelenskyy in person and show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

“Today I met my friend President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv as a show of our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine. We’re setting out a new package of financial & military aid which is a testament of our commitment to his country’s struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign,” Johnson tweeted.

The Embassy of Ukraine to the United Kingdom tweeted a picture of Boris Johnson sitting alongside Zelenskyy in an office. This visit comes as the Johnson government has announced defensive aid to Ukraine with a new pound sterling 100m package.

The new support will

include more NLAW (Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon) anti-tank missiles, additional Javelin anti-tank systems, additional loitering munitions, additional Starstreak air defence systems, and more non-lethal aid including ballistic helmets, body armour and night-vision goggles. This package amounts to over £100 million and has been designed in consultation with the armed forces of Ukraine to ensure that it meets their military needs. This builds on the £350 million of military aid and around £400m of economic and humanitarian support that the UK has already provided. “Putin has steeled our resolve, sharpened our focus and forced Europe to begin to rearm to guarantee our shared security,” said Johnson.

In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed a new Army General, Alexander Dvornikov, commander of Russia’s Southern Military District, to lead the war in Ukraine as Moscow’s military has still failed to capture Kyiv, a month and half after the start of the invasion on 24 February.

Dvornikov has been named theater commander of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. There is speculation that the new general has the goal of presenting Putin with some battlefield progress ahead of “Victory Day” on May 9, CNN reported on Sunday citing military analysts and US officials familiar with intelligence assessments. May 9 Victory Day is the most significant day in Russia as it marks the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s triumph over Germany in the Second World War.

On Sunday, Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, Russian combat air force has destroyed 86 Ukrainian military facilities since the evening of April 9.

“Operational and tactical aviation of the Russian air force hit 86 Ukrainian military objects. Among them are two control points, two ammunition depots, three fuel bases, three multiple-launch rocket systems, as well as 49 fortified strongholds and areas of concentration of Ukrainian military equipment,” Konashenkov told reporters.

Mikhail Sheremet, Crimea’s representative in Russia’s lower house of Parliament, has proposed that Moscow suspend gas supply to European Union’s member countries. “The European Union is continuing its disrespectful and humiliating policy towards Russia. In response to their unfriendly actions, I think we should respond with tough sanctions—temporarily halt energy supplies until the European counterparts realize that an aggressive policy towards Russia is harmful and punishable,” Sheremet said in an interview .